GUWAHATI, March 19: Perhaps she has chosen a wrong game to show her skills but it never did frustrate Barnali Devi, the most promising power lifter of Asom, to maintain consistency in her performance. Like the earlier two occasions, this time too she brought gold from the National Bench Press Championship and this time she took her performance one step ahead by creating a new national record.

It is for the first time that any women power lifter produced such a brilliant performance in a senior level national championship and as expected the officials of the Assam Power Lifting Association were jubilant on her performance.

Barnali was felicitated by the Assam Power Lifting Association in a small function held in a city hotel where president of the organization Dalim Pathak handed over a cash award to Barnali Devi.

Barnali first hogged the lime light in 2006 when she first won the gold medal in the National Powerlifting Championship and repeated it in 2007 and 2008 . This time, the championship was held in Mumbai and Barnali who took part in the 60 kg category bagged the gold medal creating a national record by lifting 80 kg. The earlier record was held by a powerlifter from Maharastra. Talking to the media Barnali, who is a member of Kamrup Bayam Samiti, said,” I am happy to create the new record and I will try my best to maintain this form in other tournaments as well .” Though Barnali is now a national figure but still she fails to get too much attraction or encouragement from people except from her mentor and few well- wishers. The members of the Assam Powerlifting Association today said without any hesitation that she has a good prospect in this game and even can bring laurels from international events. But for that Barnali needs a lot of support which includes financial support too

 

By The Sentinel, 20th Mar'.2008